Eco-adventure Jungle extension

Journey to Peru 2017 – Eco-adventure (Jungle Extenstion)

July 24th — Day 1 — Puerto Maldonado, Puerto Capitanía, CAIMAN COCHA

Upon your arrival in Puerto Maldonado, Peru’s capital of biodiversity, we will welcome you at the airport. Then, we’ll start our program by visiting the city on a bus.

Then, we will go to Puerto Capitanía, the port where our riverboat will be waiting for us. We will sail across Rio Bajo Madre de Dios (Winding River) until arriving at our lodge, 30 km away from Puerto Maldonado City.

On our way, you will be able to observe rural lands destined to agricultural and livestock activities near the city. If the weather is good, you will sight colorful plants like the large-flowered heliconias, and you will have the chance to observe diverse animals such as the capybaras, caimans, water turtles, herons, cormorants, carrion birds and birds of prey.

Upon the arrival in our lodge, you will be welcomed with delicious Amazon tropical fruit nectars and taken to your comfortable room (bungalow) reserved for the occasion. Once you are settled in the room, a hearty lunch will be served for you in our warm, rustically designed dining room.

CAIMAN COCHA

In the afternoon, our specialized guide will take you through an interpretive trail, conveniently signposted, to Caiman Cocha, a little lagoon where you will have the chance to observe the black caiman and the common caiman, as well as efficient predators located at the top of the food chain. They feed on a rich water fauna—mainly represented by fish— that inhabits the pond.

At dusk, you will witness the spectacular sunset over the Amazon region, an experience full of color in overwhelming ranges and intensities.

Back in the lodge, a delicious dinner will await you and you will have free time to share unforgettable moments at the bar, equipped with and excellent game room and all the drinks you can imagine.

The night fauna will lull you to sleep with the melody of a huge number of bird songs and calls.

July 25th — Day 2 — LAKE APU VICTOR, MONKEY ISLAND

The singing birds of paradise will wake you up renewed. A hearty breakfast will provide the energy for a morning full of new experiences.

LAKE APU VICTOR:
After breakfast, we will start a hike to the deep forest on conveniently prepared, preserved and signposted trails. On the way, we will cross the riverside to reach high-elevation forests, and then we will descend to floodable forests, to go up again to the hills. During the journey, we will see the widest range of flora and fauna in the wild.

Along the way, we will see diverse species of medicinal plants and fruit trees supporting the animal and human populations in the Amazon forests. Some of the most important are the moriche palm, mahogany, chestnut, catahua, cedar, trumpet-wood, copaiba, and shihuahuaco, among others.

With luck and in silence, you can see bigger mammals, like the Brazilian tapir and the white-lipped peccary; rodents like the giant otter, the capybara, the spotted paca and the armadillo; primates like the coto or howler monkey, the squirrel monkey, the lion monkey and the black-cap capuchin monkey; reptiles like the iguana and the bothrops atrox; amphibians like the toad and birds like the guan, the partridge, the golden parakeet and the blue, yellow and red macaw.

In the rainy jungle you will see insects such as butterflies (Lepidoptera), scarabs (Coleoptera), crickets, cicadas, ants, centipedes and millipedes of several species.

We’ll arrive at the majestic Lake Apu Victor surrounded by immense swamps and gigantic trees. Then, we’ll go up to an Amazonian observation deck, from which you’ll get to enjoy a panoramic view on the lake, observe parrots, macaws, toucans, horned screamers, hoatzins, herons and other animals like caimans, turtles, etc.

A wide variety of fishes enters Lake Apu Victor with the flooding of (heavy) rainy season. In addition, there are other species of fauna associated to the lake, like the yellow-footed tortoise, the mata mata, the twist-necked turtle, the freshwater blenny, the kinkajou, the white- tailed deer, the Central American agoutis and the giant otter of the Amazon rainforest.

Back in the lodge, a refreshing lunch will be waiting for you.

MONKEY ISLAND
In the afternoon, joined with our specialized guide, we will visit the Monkey Island, few minutes away from the lodge in the center of Madre de Dios River. This island shows an enormous variety of exuberant flora and hosts numerous primate specimens like the black spider monkey, the black-cap capuchin monkey, the squirrel monkey and the lion monkey. Also other species of little mammals like the ring- tailed coati (nasua nasua), the squirrel and an enormous variety of colored birds.

Finally, we will complete our visit to the island, enjoying a sunset with the most impressive dusk in the jungle. Back in the lodge, you will taste an exquisite dinner.

July 26th — Day 3 — LOST COCHA

Magic begins with birds singing from the Amazon paradise, waking up to the howler monkey calls. A hearty breakfast will provide you with the necessary energy for a morning full of new experiences.

LOST COCHA
After breakfast, we will start an adventure in the virgin forest, accompanied by a local guide, we’ll go on a hike in the deep forest: we will cover very well preserved prepared trails of our interpretive tour. On our way, we will cross temporary water courses called tributaries through very well-kept bridges, and we’ll witness the widest range of flora and fauna in the wild. We’ll identify a great variety of ornamental plants with unparalleled beauty.

En route to the Lost Cocha, we will see diverse species of medicinal plants and fruit trees that support the animal populations in the Amazon forest.

With luck, you’ll get to see bigger mammals, like the jaguar or Peruvian jaguar, the Brazilian tapir and the white-lipped peccary; rodents like the giant otter, the capybara, the spotted paca and the armadillo; primates like the coto or howler monkey and the squirrel monkey; reptiles like the iguana and the bothrops atrox; amphibians like the toad, and birds like the guan, the partridge, the golden parakeet and the scarlet macaw.

The rivers leave behind wetland systems, lakes, ponds and bends, like the spectacular Lost Cocha.

Wetlands play an ecological role of great importance since they represent a substantial biological source with endemic species. They are shelter of mammals. These swamps comprise 60% of the area protected and restored by Eco Amazonia Lodge.

The presence of moriche palm is very important for Amazonian ethnic groups. It is a mystery plant considered mother of the forest or the tree of life.

The swamp is home of jealous guardians like the jaguar, feline considered son of the swamp; the anaconda, the world’s biggest snake; the owl that sees everything from its dwelling at the top of the trees, to cure all ills, and the black caiman, guardian that punishes those that dare to steal the female moriche palm fruit. Once in Lost Cocha, we will go up to an enormous observation platform. From this lookout, you will see the enormous surface that this magic place covers and where you can see two types of swamps: thick and mixed.

Then, we will take a pleasant walk around the Lost Cocha and with luck you’ll get to see the “giant otter” or Pteronurabrasiliensis, the biggest in its type and one of the most impressive animals of the Amazon region.

Back in the lodge, you can enjoy an exquisite lunch.

In the afternoon, you have free time to take pictures around the lodge, and you will have the possibility to visit the botanical garden and observe our medicinal plants and fruit trees.

At night, you can enjoy a delicious dinner. If you are not tired, you can enjoy a fun night at the bar and game room.

July 27th — Day 4 — Back to Puerto Maldonado

The singing birds of paradise will wake you up and the powerful roar of the howler monkey will warn you that you are still in its territory and that it is time to leave.

In our dining room, a delicious breakfast will await you before going back to Puerto Maldonado.